Defending champion Lee Min (李旻) and former world no.1 Yani Tseng (曾雅妮) will be among the strong field comprised of 108 players from seven countries who will kick-start their 2018 season at the NT$1 million Hitachi Ladies Classic, which takes place on Friday to Sunday at the Orient Golf & Country Club in Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Thai super star Pornanong Phatlum, who is chasing a record five titles in this event, however, won’t be able to return to compete while still in recovery in a hospital after suffering from food poisoning.

A Pro-Am took place on Thursday joined by 41 TLPGA Tour pros and 123 amateur golfers, which was played in an 18-hole scramble format in a cold but bright beaming afternoon. The quartet led by TLPGA player Lin Tzu-Chi (林子麒), alongside three of Taiwan’s professional baseball league players, Hu Chin-Lung, Kao Chih-Kang and Huang Shih-Hao, finished atop the final standings with a total score of 14-under-par 58. The golf-playing baseball stars were awarded a Hitachi inverter AC each for their winning performance.

Apart from the 51 local Taiwanese women (6 amateurs and juniors), a competitive list of players representing seven countries has assembled, with Thailand sending its 27 elites, second most among the participating nations, and 19 from Japan, as well as another 11 international golfers from the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United States.

First round play will begin tomorrow morning at 7:15 while the final group of the day is set off to go at 10:05. A cut will be made to the top 50 and ties after the second round.

The 2018 Hitachi Ladies Open will lift the curtain of the 2018 TLPGA Tour campaign. It is also the solely featured major tournament in January which boasts a lucrative NT$2.5 million first-place prize.

The purse of the tournament has been increased to NT$ 10 million since 2013 from NT$4 million in its inception year, with a growth in the winner’s prize more than double the initial from NT$1.2 to NT$2.5 million. Annual proceeds from the tournament and an equal bonus from Hitachi will be used for charitable aid to endow local organizations.

Over the last nine years, the tournament has donated more than NT$42 million benefitting nine charity partners.

The competition layout at the Orient Golf Course is set at 6,199 yards long this year, which fascinates with its challenging, creative geographic conditions, beautiful floral views, and neatly manicured greens with fine grass type Tiffeagle. The Orient Golf and Country Club provides strict private, member-only experience.

Co-title-sponsors Hitachi, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning Taiwan, and Taiwan Hitachi Asia Pacific expressed their wishes to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the tournament as well as the collaborative effort in the community as the TLPGA event continued to grow in prestige each year.

For the convenience of the spectators, the tournament offers shuttle bus services to the Orient Golf and Country Club from three meeting points, A7 National Taiwan Sport University station of Taoyuan Airport MRT, O21 Huilong station of the Taipei MRT, and the parking space next to the swimming stadium of National Taiwan Sport University. Book your tickets and enjoy the golf at http://www.taiwan-hitachi.com.tw/ladiesclassic2018/page/ticket/ticket.html .